That Old Familiar Strain
by Runi-chan
Summary: You never stop searching. You're no longer surprised. It's the measure of obsession. xOver w/xxxHolic


_This idea has been bugging me for a while--mainly after watching the "MidSummer Night's Dream" xxxHolic movie. It seems kind of an obvious crossover, really. Both shop owners sort of do have the same services available.One's stories just end more violently than the others  
_

_Disclaimer:I don't own these properties  
Summary: Y_ou never stop searching. You're no longer surprised. It's the measure of obsession. xOver w/xxxHolic

* * *

A soft tinkling of bells caught Yuuko's attention, and she lifted heavy-lidded eyes to greet her visitor. Through her alcohol-induced haze, she wondered where Watanuki was. At the same time, her mind brilliantly clear, she remembered that the boy was at school.

The guest still had not spoken as Yuuko lifted herself from her chair and descended the steps. This visitor did not flinch, did not move as she sauntered forward--was not intimidated like so many others. He merely scowled.

"Yo, witch," the voice was gruff, and barely grasped the Japanese. Yuuko shook her head.

"If it's easier, _sir_, I do speak english."

The blonde man only looked more irritated.

"Whatever. Any...," the man seemed to be restraining himself from saying the wrong thing. He sighed, heavily. Yuuko cocked her head, an amused grin slowly gracing her lips.

"Yes?"

The man's head snapped upwards, and he was glaring. He shoved his hands in his pockets, and looked beyond her. She absently was aware of a smell of tobacco, and the faintest traces of an incense that seemed oh so familar.

"I'm here looking for a certain person," he started, and Yuuko pulled herself to a seated position, snuffing her pipe and setting it beside her.

"Business or pleasure?"

The blonde man (American, she noticed by the accent) blanched for a moment, then sighed.

"He's a ...friend," the voice was gentler. That incense...where did Yuuko know it from?

"Ah, I see. It was not coincidence that brought you to my shop, it was--"

"Well, no shit. I heard you pull that same 'wish granting' crap that he used to. You heard of a Count D?"

It was Yuuko's turn to falter. In all of her years, not even Clow had had the gall to interrupt her and demand something of her like this man did.

"Well, if I were to tell you," her eyes narrowed, immediately irritated at the man again, "you must give me something of equal value in exchange," she drawled. That name was so familar, but this man was wearing on her nerves.

The blonde seemed to consider it, and shook his head. He sauntered closer.

"Really? Because I'm with the," the blonde could not get the rest of his sentence out because Yuuko rose to her feet, her kimono clinging to her shoulders just barely.

"I do know that you are not here under their orders, Detective Orcot"

The blonde paled, and then cursed and kicked at the steps.

"Damn, you're just like him...Are you sure? He never had to..."

"I **can not** help you, Detective," she stressed, "unless what you give me is of equal value to what I give you. Is this understood?" Yuuko locked eyes with the man, who did not flinch.

"Yes."

"Then we are in agreement. You will give me," here she paused, until the knowledge came into her mind, "the physical reminder of this person's time with you"

Pain flashed through the man's eyes for a moment, but he dug into his pockets and pulled out a worn, crumpled piece of paper. He smoothed it and handed it to her. It floated of its own accord for a moment or two (which the blonde seemed to not notice), and soft sparks ran along the crayon scrawlings of a small boy and a few strange creatures.

"It is done," Yuuko announced, and Maru and Moro came out to the veranda with a letter.

D. Where had she..did she not know the Count and his kind? Perhaps she did once...

Yuuko lifted the letter with deft, slender fingers. The blonde's attention was caught by the gentle scent of incense that wafted from it.

Yes. She knew D. The Count himself was gone, but he did have a son...no, son was not proper. The young, unfinished boy was more a clone than a son. The Count had dissappeared--dead, far as was known. Caretakers. Where was this younger D said to be? A chinaman was not a peculiar sight--but this man, with mismatched eyes, would both stand out and blend in at the same time. It was the nature of the beast. Where was the young D?

Yuuko's eyes were half-lidded, recalling this.

"What the hell? Is that letter from...is that for me?" he snapped. Her eyes drifted in his direction.

"You will find everything you need within this letter," she replied, passing the letter to him. He ran his fingers over it for a moment, and looked up at her.

"I'm not leaving until I know this helped," he warned. Yuuko only shrugged.

"I have done what you asked."

Yuuko expected the man to tear into the letter. Instead, he carefully loosened the edges, and slid out the paper inside. He unfolded it carefully, eyes wandering over the graceful script, in perfect english.

The young, unfinished boy, not the same as the others. No one was supposed to know--but Yuuko had her ways. The youngest had lived in Chinatown, somewhere in the United States (she supposed California, but even she was not deft enough to nail it down. Her sources were largely unfamilar with the area). There had been a sister made for him, because he was not...done. He was missing something, and that was why he connected better with his human neighbors. With this man, Leon Orcot.

The man stared at the letter, disbelieving.

"Dear Detective,  
You are still not ready, but you are on the right path. You are close, very close.

-D"

"NO! NO NO FUCK NO!" he cursed and lashed out. He looked much like a young child who had not gotten his way. He fell to his knees, pressing his forehead to the cool wood of the veranda.

"Five..years. Five years I've looked. And I'm just 'close'? No...," he was quiet. Maru and Moro looked at him, curious. The two had seen Watanuki's freakouts time and time again, but this...this was different.

When the man looked up now, his eyes were distant for a moment.

"Gah...go...away!" Watanuki panted as he rounded the turn and entered through the gates.

"Yuuko!" he howled, "get it away!!" he kept running, not noticing the blonde man on the veranda. Yuuko and the blonde both cocked their heads in unison, and did not understand for a moment, until a sizable beast bound through the gates, unaffected. It was tall, and would have seemed human but for the horns curling off its head out of wild red hair. The blonde stood, as if mesmerized, then charged at it.

"You fucking tigergoat thing!" he grabbed it around the waist. He grappled with it for a moment. Watanuki stood beside Yuuko, panting. He tiredly gestured at the blonde.

"Customer?"

"Yes."

"It's me, you stupid goat thing!" the blonde struggled, and the creature cocked its head, and stared at him. Then, just as suddenly as he'd bound through the gates, the creature bit down on the blonde's hand. Hard. A string of curses sounded from the blonde, but the creature was grinning.

Ah, so they knew each other.

"Come, Watanuki, I'm hungry."

"But what about..."

"He's fine. And we need sake."

"SAKE!" the Mokona echoed, squealing in Watanuki's ear.

"GAH OKAY," he sputtered, following her inside.

T-Chan shook his head.

"Well damn it all, you did catch up," he smirked, "and I assume you can hear me now."

"Ain't that much that's surprising me anymore, you goat thing..."

"Totetsu."

"Yeah, whatever. Where's D?"

"Shit, you fell hard for him, didn't you?"

"Shut...," Leon stopped short. He was very aware that he was yelling at what probably looked like a weird goat. In the middle of Japan.

"Where are you guys now?"

"Hey, not my business to tell you. But you're close, really close."

Leon stared at the totetsu, then at the letter. A portion at the bottom had been folded upwards.

(Two streets up, five shops over.

I do hope you brought sweets, detective. It's been a long time since I've had something good.)

Leon didn't grin. He didn't laugh, but smirked.

"I'm following you home, you stupid goat thing."

"Whatever. You do know your hand is bleeding, right?"

"Eh, it's Japan. I'll get to a hospital if it gets worse. You didn't bite that hard."

The beast glared and bit Leon on the shoulder, hard.

"OW WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"I could eat you if I wanted to. Get moving."

Yuuko peeked out from the shouji, and an elegant hand pulled it all the way open for her.

"Thank you,"

"I try to get around things when I can, Count."

The Chinese man smiled softly, and mismatched eyes glinted with mischeif.

"It was quite boring without him."

Yuuko looked backwards into the kitchen, where Watanuki was fussing over the two sprites and Mokona interfering with his cooking.

"I know the feeling," she smiled.


End file.
